Page:Life in the Old World - Vol. I.djvu/459

Rh more just laws for the women of Piedmont, who, as regards the right of inheritance now stand a long way behind the men. M. de Cavour laughed, half waggishly as at an expression called forth by a certain esprit de corps, but he spoke afterwards seriously of the difficulties which, in particular amongst an agricultural population, stood in the way of an equal right of inheritance—difficulties, which it rather surprised me to hear uttered by a great statesman. It pleased me likewise when he added, with the accent of conviction: “In any case equal right of inheritance will become law, sooner or later, amongst us. It exists in the spirit and the tendency of all our legislation, and besides—it is right.” Those were words which it did me good to hear from a statesman and legislator. I left Cavour, with an extremely refreshing sense of his words and whole character.

“Quelle jolie physionomie!” exclaimed I involuntarily to M. Melegari, as I left the minister's apartment, whilst I recalled my own preconceptions before I entered it.

“N'est ce pas?” replied he, and we added as in emulation, “''que de finesse! que de clarté, que de'' fraicheur, que de fermeté!”

I have heard, from persons who know M. de Cavour more intimately, that his happy temperament both of body and soul cannot however, save him from an annual attack of inflammation on the chest—probably at the close of the session of the chambers. He is then obliged to be repeatedly bled, and his friends are often in great anxiety about him. But his athletic nature